Dual Nationality – Have To Choose?

[Beachcomber]

Hi

This is on behalf of Darling Wifie who wants confirmation of what we were told at the UK Embassy.

Somebody had told Darling Wifie that though Baby Beach now has a UK and a Thai passport – dual nationality – when baby gets to be 18 years old she will have to chose which nationality she wants to keep.

The nice lady at the UK Embassy (why so many negative posts about the Embassy staff?) told us that the dual nationality is for life and baby will not have to chose at a later date.

Anybody have any experience about this, can we get confirmation and some peace that dual nationality is for life?

Thanks in advance

Beachcomber.

[kenk3z]

I don't know the answer to your question, but would like to mention something that may factor into the decision process.

If Thai citizenship is maintained, does the child eventually have to perform mandatory service in the Thai military? If so, that tends to dampen the enthusiasm a bit for obtaining and keeping Thai citizenship, doesn't it?

kenk3z

[GU22]

The nice lady at the UK Embassy (why so many negative posts about the Embassy staff?) told us that the dual nationality is for life and baby will not have to chose at a later date.

The embassy lady is spot on; both the UK and Thailand allow their citizens dual nationality.

However, some countries don't. Germany, for example. A child with dual Thai/German nationality would have to decide at 18 which to give up and which to keep, as Germany does not allow it's adult citizens to have dual nationality. Was the person who mis-informed your wife German, or married to a German?

[donx]

Beachcomber, dual nationality is for life if she wants it to be.

kenk3z, since Beachcomber's baby is female, your concern won't apply in this case. I have a dual citizen son where this may be an issue. There are ways around the situation which you will find discussed in earlier threads on this forum.

Why would anyone not want to keep their dual citizenship other than the possibility of being required to perform military service in Thailand? As a US citizen I can tell you that certain defense contractor jobs require security clearances that may require a dual citizen to renounce their citizenship to Thailand.

[the scouser]

However, some countries don't. Germany, for example. A child with dual Thai/German nationality would have to decide at 18 which to give up and which to keep, as Germany does not allow it's adult citizens to have dual nationality. Was the person who mis-informed your wife German, or married to a German?

If one establishes an entitlement to a given citizenship, then that cannot be retracted, unless renounced. Germany may or may not allow its citizens dual nationality, but should one hold, for example, both a Thai and a German passport, then one authority is not to know that you also hold a document issued by the other. Therefore, irrespective of what the legislation might say, one has a de facto dual nationality.

Scouse.

[samran]

It used to be the case that Thailand didn't allow it. But that was long ago. The laws have been changed for nearly a decade and a half now, but old views still persist.

Which is why I highly recommend that you NEVER tell a Thai official that your daughter has dual nationality. While the folks at Immigration (especially at Don Muang) are usually quite fine with the issue, many other government departments aren't, and these 'old heads' - as Thai's like to say - can easily throw a spanner in the works for any offical piece of paper work you may need if they know. I speak from expereince.

Also remember, always enter and leave Thailand on the Thai PP, enter and leave the UK and EU on the British one. You'll notice that there are some people on this site who have had their child entered into Thailand on a foreign PP and then find that their child is then subject to the immigration rules here.

[Beachcomber]

Thanks everyone for your prompt replies.

What is it with Daring Wife’s that when one is lord and master always right never wrong in most things some one comes along tells them something and no matter what you say or do they just don’t believe you?

Yes GU22 she has been talking with wife of German guy. We have got various nationalities round here so she picks up all sorts of information not UK relevant.

Peace again but what will be next?

[wolf5370]

My Mrs is 28 - she had dual nationality Btitsh/Thai - so proof of the pudding so to speak.

A Thai friend of mine was told that his daughters would have to choose when they were 19 by the Thai Embassy in London just a few years back. I excplianed to him thai if that was true, then he would have had to give up his own dual nationality too.

Its the usual thing of some incompetant Thai Officials not knowing the rules, so just defaulting to something they heard/or a guess.

I think Thailand has always allowed dual nationality, but it was frowned upon and hard to get accepted. Times, they have a changed. I know Thais in the UK that have had dual nationality for 30 plus years, so it was certainly possible. One told me it was just a case of getting oit done in those days and just keeping quiet to the Thai officials.